


Lilac Love

by FluffleStar



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M, My First AO3 Post, Oneshot collection, Other, mostly based off the manga
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26977258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffleStar/pseuds/FluffleStar
Summary: Vaati x Link oneshot collection of mine!
Relationships: Link/Vaati
Kudos: 16





	1. Yearning (404)

It had been hours since the portal closed, the festival’s decorations came and went, and the doorway across the barrier between worlds came to an end.

Yet.

Link was still awake in his bed. The heat in his face was still there, the thumping in his ears sang with each shaking breath. To be honest, Link was getting slightly annoyed. 

What was wrong with him?

There was no more a reason to fight  
There wasn’t a reason to fight anymore. Yeah sure there were still monsters preyed at night, but even the knights could handle them!

Yet. Link still felt that feeling in his stomach. A beating that keeps pounding faster and faster.

He wasn’t feeling angry, so why was his cheeks red?

Why… is he thinking of him right now?

Vaati

Just his name makes his heart quiver. It was only recently known to but yet it feels like he’s known him forever. From that meeting only barely a week ago in the woods, to seeing his minish face just a couple hours ago. 

You can’t stop thinking about his violet hair, his eyes the color of roses, and his laugh!

Oh his laugh…

Yeah it was probably mocking the royal family and its associates (aka Link and his friend), but the way his flick and his cloak around. They way he smiles!

Heh,

He wanted to be friends with you after the battle. After the magic that corrupted him was freed from his heart. If..

If you met before all of this,,,,

Did he miss him? Did Vaati miss him? 

When he turned into that cute minish they bonded so fast!  
...cute minish…with his ears and his ruby eyes more colorful than any gem….

He… wanted to be Link’s friend. The only friend he had before was Zelda, so…

Was this emotion that he was feeling friendship? Some form ultra super friendship? It would be nice to practice his blade with someone outside of class.

Ezlo implied that Vaati was smart, he did trick everyone after all, so maybe he could help him with questions and tests and stuff!

Just the two of them studying.

“Is he thinking of me?” Link muttered to himself. He may be a world apart but if they ever met again, perhaps in another life. “I wish I could meet you again,” He promised, “ I would love to spend time with you more next time ‘round.”


	2. Mint Green (1113)

There was a bouquet on the table. His grandpa said that it had his name on it and it was left on the front steps this morning. 

Was this some sort of thank you gift from the minish? Was this a secret code he needed to unravel. Zelda once rambled to him about the languages of flowers so it could be something like that. The problem was that Link had no clue how to read them.

But why was it Mint?

Was mint a flower? Would it be considered such? 

Where in Hyrule would a person go something like this. He asked the florist in the south of the town and he was laughed off. Should he sneak in and find out for himself? Ask around more? He didn’t know.

The books that surrounded him didn't help. There were 12 books on flowers in the town library and a majority of them were for medical purposes. Except for two that just talked about identifying poisons. Mint wasn’t a poison so it didn’t help.

“Should I ask Zelda? No….she would be mad that I spaced out in the middle of her conversations again.” Link reasoned with himself. “Maybe the library in the castle should have more information?”

Link closed the book and placed it on the pile to his left. He then grabbed the bottom most book and headed downstairs to the receptionist to thank them and pass on the books for reorganization. He waved goodbye and turned right towards the castle.

Link wasn’t the type of kid that flaunted. Was it because he grew up in an environment that had no need for it? Was it because he wanted to be a blacksmith like his grandpa when he was young and didn’t care for everything else including other people’s opinions? Perhaps Zelda being his childhood friend had something to do with it. 

Being the Hero of the Minish, the re-forger of the four swords, and just generally being a good person made people treat you differently. The knights thought of him as the princess’s childhood friend and saw him as puny. The minister thought him a bad influence for corrupting the precious princess of Hyrule. 

The king pitied him.

Whenever he was in the castle, the king’s eyes would not meet his. They were full of guilt that seconds felt like hours whenever they were alone.

Did he regret giving him the task? Link volunteered to forge it back up though. Was it some sort of secret even more tragic backstory that Link would find out when he was older? A symptom of that magic that Vaati did when he was evil and corrupted? 

Link didn’t know.

So Link typically avoided him.

Not this time.

If there was anyone in the castle that knew about the books within it would of course be the king who owns it all.

So he asked, and he was wrong.

Turns out kings/fathers don’t know everything.

Huh.

So he asked him if there was anyone else in the castle that should know about mint and why a bouquet of it was sent to his house. The head librarian, nor any of the scribes knew it.

Not a single hylian got it.

Wait, what about Ezlo?

That’s right! Ezlo! He lives in plants! He should know about Mint!

Link sprinted out of the castle and thanked every knight he passed that he might have scared. He leaped over stones and danced around the crowded marketplace. He tiptoed around Anju’s cuccos and swirled around the cats that seemed to follow his footprints. He muttered several ‘excuse mes’ and ‘coming throughs’ to the children that seemed to be everywhere.

Link would die before becoming a bad role model.

Zelda doesn't count; she was always like that.

He gave a quick salute to the guard at the gate and equipped his pegasus boots. Within minutes he was in the woods and in seconds the magic stump. “Great-great I just need to get Ezlo’s attention and we can talk here!” Link told himself.

“You know Ezlo is on vacation right?” a voice came from behind him.

Link jumped.

“How long were you there?” He asked Vaati. His newest friend laughed in response to the question and sat down next to him. Link’s heart began to pound faster and faster.

“Heh, I return to this stump after gathering supplies and after turning around you are suddenly here? Yet you ask me when?” he smirked.

“Look,” Link blushed. “I just wanted to ask Ezlo a question about plants?”

“Aww..” Vaati teased, “Why the sudden interest? Did you want to eat another jabbernut? Or are you here for some other reason?”

“Tch,” Link clicked his tongue, “I don’t suppose you know anything about these plants?” Link pulled out the specimen from his inventory. To his surprise, Vaati’s eyes just widened for a split second then returned to his usual look.

“Oh please, don’t tell me you don’t know what mint is?” a faint pink was on his cheeks.

“It tastes good.”

“Well yes the flavor of it does taste nice but it is rather obvious its meaning!” Vaati smiled like a cat.

“...”

“D-Do-do you not know?” Vaati asked with a surprised tone in his voice. “It's MINT.”

“... is it some sort of...cultural thing?” Link guessed. Vaati paused, he began to sigh and run his fingers through his violet hair. 

“Did you just realize something?”

“I…”Vaati blushed and rubbed his face with his paws. “Okay listen. This is a slight misunderstanding..”

“Oh is mint some sort of insult?”

“NO! NO!” Vaati denied, embarrassment written on his face. “Look”

“There was a minish saying once,”began Vaati. 

“There are few truths about the world. Water will grant life, the sun will bless the lands, and mint will always be there. Of course in real life mint is one of the easiest plants to cultivate and is very popular in early medicine. It could survive some of the coldest of temperatest and flourish with it. It is a very durable plant”

Vaati took a deep breath, cheeks magenta, “And-and whenever I look at you; clothed in that green garb ready to take on the world, I think of that saying.” He paused to take a deep breath.  
“You are...very strong, you defeated me when I was corrupted by my own hubris... and you keep surviving everything the world throws at you. Always being there for everyone…including me. ”

Link’s chest felt like it was going to explode.

“After all that I did you gave me a second chance! You wormed your way into my life and...well. Did you like my gift?”


	3. The sun shined (1606)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> slight gore in this chapter btw!

The sun was shining when he first laid eyes on the cap that would cause so much misery. Its golden rums gleamed with greed. The crimson the same shade as his eyes. It was love at first sight.

So he took it.

He spirited away this precious treasure. A wish that devoured his heart. A void filled with that addictive substance. He yelled and screamed at the mentor he cared about a long time ago.

A man who cared for him and taught him like a son. He casted a curse in return. A petty victory A petty revenge. A petty wish. A petty life. 

He wanted.

No-

He yearned.

His eyes oh so full of ambition and the desire to take it all. He took and he took and he took.

He cheated at their games, lied to their faces, and hurt others. 

Yet the dawn forgave him.

The sun was shining on him. Its glow giving warmth to his cold heart. Like a reptile he basked in it. The fire surrounding his new body. The power it held mirrored his own.

He wanted more.

He passed through the forest and onto the road. Passing many humans; from a young swordsman to a carefree nobel. He bore no thought to them and continued his journey. To a place he has only heard rumours about.

The sun was shining when he gazed at the castle in front of him. The hylian children running and laughing all around the town. The adults setting up decorations for the festival. Merchants selling their holiday wares. And relivites telling the youngins legends and myths of the piccori they were celebrating. 'A festival all for him' he arrogantly thought. He could hear the distance training from a nearby dojo. His ears, now transformed, still had the keen senses of his old species. 

The sun was shining when he faced off foe after foe in the tournament. While he knew some swordsmanship, why not use the powers that he just received. The glint in their swords were so bothersome. He needed to defeat those annoyances as fast as he could. The sword that sealed the chest was in front of him soon. Oh they pointed spears at him. Raised shields to defend. But what little strength they had! A small spell for each person and even a curse for the little princess! 

And yet he was wrong.

There… was nothing good in the chest. No metaphorical ray of hope. Only monsters and demon souls laid. How thankful they were.

The whispered secrets to him. Knowledge and ideas he had never thought of! Spell combinations and plans!

How enchanting.

The sun was shining as he looked around the land. Disguises apon disguises. Lie after lie. Charming people so easily. Books upon books he gathered from across the cursed land. Casting spell after spell; magically imputing the knowledge written into himself. 

Yet no word of the power that laid in Hyrule was anywhere. Not a metaphor in any page. No footnote. No blurb in any referenced excerpt. Towers and towers of encyclopedia, stacks and stacks of novels. 

Not a single guide.

He needed to do something else.

Perhaps a different approach would be needed.

Legends say of a fairy that knows several things. That their song, while a temporary one, would give guidance on what to do. Maybe that was what he needed guidance.

No

He was Vaati

He would no longer be the apprentice of any master!

He would be the greatest mage of all!

He would be better than Ezlo.

He craved to be.

To be better

Taller

Smarter

Stronger.

More magically gifted.

….so why was he still craving power?

...maybe he should ask the fae for help?

No

Yes?

No….

Wait….

Is that Ezlo?

Speak of the demon. Its him!

Why is he on some swordman?

Oh! Did he not break the curse yet!

Hah!

Serves him right.

The sun was shining when he cursed another being. A being slated to die. Transformation, the shadows whispered in his ears. A more permanent spell this time. No wand nor staff could break it. 

And he was there

Him

The guy with locks the same as the sun. A passion in his eyes. The desire to save burning in his eyes. That fierce expression on his face. The way he swings his sword at him. 

Oh right he's on the opposite side. Nevermind him. He needed to find the golden power that slumbered in this kingdom. He should not worry about a young man like him. He should think of other things. Like his next disguise. Perhaps taking the form of a being unnoticeable; a maid or a scribe?

No! NO!

He would not go quietly like this! He's had a lifetime of doing that! Taking orders all day! Writing Ezlo's reports! Cleaning up his dirty work! No no NO! He will not have another master! No he will be the master this time. The master of the castle.

The king himself.

The sun was shining as he stood in his throne room. The respect the people were treating him with! Asking about what he thought! Listening to him!

Oh how he loved this!

Even better; the swordsman was going to the location of the golden power!

Prefect.

The sun was shining when he crackled with power. It felt like it was burning his skin as he extracted that power from the petite princess. It raged against him, like icarus pleading in the sky. He crackled with glee.

He felt so powerful. A god among mortals. A king among peasants.

A hylian among minish.

He loved it. For the briefest moment in time. That void in his chest felt full. He smiled. 

He laughed.

He was happy.

He could stay there forever.

He would love to stay here forever. On top of the world. On top of everything. The strongest magician, the king of Hyrule, and his body a beautiful masterpiece. He was the moon to this world. A celestial being pulling and swaying its matter. Above it all and in control of so many things. This coronation for it's newest ruler. Dressed oh so regally. His robe the same as a New Moon during a total solar eclipse. Violet and wonderful. Skin pale like the stars above. How wonderful he looked and felt.

But soon dawn broke.

Link. A humble blacksmith-swordsman. One of the few that trained at the knight's academy. Wielding the four sword that sealed the old darkness, Vaati's old mentor guiding him, and courage in his veins. Sunshine hair that contrasted his castle. He bent light to attack from every angle. Annihilating every dark nut and creature he sent his way. He brightens up every single room. Darkness cowered away from him. The shadows whisper about the threat. A soul seemingly crafted to do the impossible. Courage in every speck of his body. A determination that would kill gods.

Vaati will not run. He spent so long running. He will not falter. He will face him down. 

The dawn sun was shining through his castle’s windows as his body twisted and morphed against his will. His organs rearranging. His chest compressing into another eye. He could barely see. He can only feel. 

Pain

A blistering burning pain that spread across his skin. Like a beach day without protection, it incinerated his being. It pricked and scratched his soul. His throat constricted and liquid were coming out of all of his orifices. He was bleeding so much. Wounds both magical and metal gushed. It hurt.

It hurt EVERYWHERE.

From the stabs of his sword to the recoil of his magic. His head-ached with every bit of movement. His limbs were being twisted and pulled in every direction. His chest was made of liquids he couldn't even identify. His shadows mocking him with all of his mistakes.

But the worst was in his heart. He could feel it pleading and begging. 

And then he screamed. He could no longer disguise himself. He could no longer hold this form. He can't keep up!

He

Felt

Powerless.

.

.  
.  
..

..

….

The sun was shining was the first thing he noticed.

Sprawled across the grass of the castle ground. Grass that felt too small.

He...was diminished

Was….

Was all of it just a bad dream?

Was he still…

A monster?

Ezlo yelled at him, berating him for every mistake he made. And it was true. So so so true.

He did all of this.

And while no hylian died, there were still scars of his deeds. 

From the damage to the castle. The monsters that still roamed outside of the villages, and the shadows would crawl-it was all his fault.

He should be dead. He should be imprisoned. He brought destruction to this land. While nobody died from his childish wrath, he still hurt them.

Yet.

The sun was forgiving. 

Link, the young man who stopped him. The guy he probably caused the most hurt towards. The person that traveled across land both small and tall. Link understood him.

He

He understood him. He cracked a joke at Ezlo's expense. By the gods, he not a single person he knew ever did that before! 

Hah!

Link…

Link offered him redemption.

He didn't deserve it. He caused all of this! Why did Link do that?

He.

He hoped that one day. He would learn why. He will change- change for the better! 

One day, he would make himself a better person.

One day they will be a friend that's worth it. 

The sun shined its gentle rays once more as he promised to be better.


	4. High Five (1163)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Minish Cap anniversary! <3

“Zel’ if I give Vaati a high five, would it be a high-five?”

“Link. What” the refined princess of hyrule asked him.

“Ya know. Since he’s minish and minish have four fingers on their paw-hands.”

Zelda paused to look at her childhood friend sitting across from her in her study. She let out a deep sigh and went back to focusing more on her law book. She continued to write notes and info about the statues in the region in her journal besides her. A couple moments passed as he slowly went back to the book he was currently reading before he asked the question.

He didn’t even finish the paragraph he was on before Zelda interrupted him. “ I….Would it?.... If..” she muttered to herself. 

“Is everything alright?” Link asked, concerned. 

“If you gave Vaati a high-five, would Vaati be giving you a high-four?”

The two began to stare at each other for what seemed to be minutes. Complete silence passed between the two blonds as their imaginations began to wonder. Zelda sat up from her chair and beckoned Link to one of the book shelves. She gestured for him to lift her high up; and after doing so she opened the table of contents. 

She began to mutter name after name. Feat after feat. 

Finally she came to a page about the origins of the phrase ‘high-five’. 

“Okay,” she began, “ the word is a type of asking for a handshake, and it basically is just the meating of hands in that motion.”

“Huh, those creators sound cool,” Link remarked.

“Yeah they seem neat. Anyways, I…. I think it would still be considered a high-five even if you have a different amount of fingers on your paw/hands.’’

“Oh” remarked Link. “Huh, neat. But i just thought of one question.”

“And that would be?”

“Since the creators were human, do you think Minish know what a high-five is? I think the priest might but he's……..”

Zelda paused and muttered something under her breath. She stood up and began to pace around her room.

“Gosh darn it Link! You know what? You go give the next minish you see a high-five and/or ask.” She began to poke at Link’s back. Link swatted her hand away, but Zelda anticipated this. She began to tap on his back with her other hand. Link turned around truly play-fight with her, but as he did she shoved him towards the door. 

Link blew a raspberry at her as he exited the corridor. He tapped his sword on the floor as he walked out of the castle. He whistled a small tune as he walked to the town square. 

‘Uh… who should I ask?” Link began to ponder, ‘I mean I could go with Vaati since I used him as an example and we are good friends. Ezlo is such an oldie so I don’t know if he gets it. Festari might know about it so maybe it would be best if I did as-’

“Oof.” He squeaked as he bumped into someone.

A violet-haired someone.

“Vaati!” Link blushed. “I’m so sorry! Are you good?”

‘Yeah,” he replied. 

“Oh. Okay!” Link chirped back. “So….. what ‘cha doing?”

Vaati held up a book from his arms then began to place it in his inventory. “Just doing more book deliveries for Ezlo. What about you? Lost in thought again?”

“Oh! I…” Link cheeks reddened more. “I...uh wanted to ask something.”

“And so you bumped into me?”

“No -no!”

Vaati laughed causing Link’s heart to beat faster. “It twas just a joke!” he smiled.

“Oh, right.” 

“...”

“Oh! Right I was going to ask- “Link fell forward as a child ran past him. He could faintly hear the distant sounds of ‘sorry!’ before he could comprehend what happened. 

One moment he was talking the next he was close to Vaati 

“Ah!” Link straightened up and jumped to his feet. His heart pounding worse than it ever had. ‘I-uh!” Link held out his hand and Vaati’s paws met his. He began to mutter apology after apology and quickly dashed home. 

“Oh come on Link! Vaati was right there! You could have asked an innocent question but you fell on top of him. Oh gosh….. He probably thinks I’m weird or something.” Link said to himself as he opened his door. 

He waved at his gramps, still working all day in the forge, and sprinted up the stairs towards his room. He shut it behind him and walked over to his bed to collapse into.

He planted his face deep into his pillow and began to scream into it.While the muffle screams were still slightly loud, he knew the right volume to not bother anyone. 

Link may have laid there, exhausted and silent, for hours. Or maybe minutes. Link didn’t really care.

Then he heard a knock at the front door. 

He sat up and pushed back his bed hair. Link lifted himself out and down to the first floor. He wiped away at his face and tried to make himself partially presentable ( a trick he learned from Zelda). 

Link turned the doorknob and was face-to-face with Vaati.

Link...didn’t know what to say. Every single remark or greeting he could think of on a normal occasion didn’t appear in his head. He just stood there, face black sans his pink cheeks.

“You forgot your sword”

Link blinked and looked at his former enemies’ hand. There it laid. The legendary four sword that the Hyrulian family protected for generations. The sword that started it all. The sword that Vaati broke when they first met. That sword.

Link forgot to pick it up when he fell. 

“Are you okay? Your eyes are as wide as a beamos” Vaati asked in concern.

He FORGOT THE SWORD.

“Hyrule-to-Link~”

HE. FORGOT. THE. SWORD!!!

“Link! Snap out of it! Calm down!” 

“Oh… uh… right. Can-I-have-my-sword-back?” Link said quickly. 

Vaati held it to him and Link quickly placed it back into its scabbard. His eyes then met Vaati’s. 

“Thank you so much!” Link began to apologize. 

“It wasn’t really that big of a deal. I was headed this way anyways.”

“Right, Minish Village is right over there.”

“Agreed.”

The two began to fidget in silence. The only noises were the distant sounds of the castle, the crackle of the hammer in the next room, and the distant wildlife of the Minish woods.

“So, what was what you wanted to ask me earlier?”

“Oh!” Link’s eyes widen. “So, do you know what a high-five is?”

“A high-five? I believe I heard Festari mention them once before.”

‘Festari did know what that is huh’, he thought.

“So? Was that what you wanted to ask? That’s it?”

“Oh wait, uh if I gave you a high-five and you gave me a high-five, would it technically be a high-four from your angle?”

Vaati paused, his inner apprentice vibrating with curiosity. He raised his hand and Link began to raise his.

*clap*


End file.
